Kingdom Fungi Order Lecanorales Genus Dolichousnea Higher classification Usnea | Phylum Ascomycota Family Parmeliaceae Scientific name Dolichousnea longissima Rank Species | |
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Similar Usnea, Parmeliaceae, Alectoria, Usnea florida, Usnea filipendula | ||
Dolichousnea longissima, Old Man's Beard or Methuselah's Beard Lichen, is a lichen in the family Parmeliaceae. It was previously known as Usnea longissima.
Contents
Distribution
D. longissima is found in boreal forests and coastal woodland in Europe, Asia, and North America.
Description
This lichen is fruticose, with very long stems and short, even side branches. It is considered the longest lichen in the world. The stems are usually 15 to 30 cm in length but are sometimes much longer.
Ecology
The most frequent host of this lichen is spruce trees. It is currently on threatened status.
References
Dolichousnea longissima Wikipedia(Text) CC BY-SA